The Greatest Story Never Told
by Pamplemoose
Summary: a.k.a in which the Great Captain Ussop yet again saves the day.
1. The First

_(Okay, so I've had to re-post this because it was kindly noted out I spelt Usopp's name wrong the whole way through! How shameful! Too busy focusing on the story to remember names. Sorry!)_

_Hi everyone! I know I've been out of the fic game for a while, laptop issues cauesd me to lose my work and left me uninspired. I've began writing this drabble after reading alot of Ussop win fics and it sprawled into a fully fledged ficlet for your pleasure!_

_I'd live to dedicate this to Santoryuu-Zoro, whose small words of encouragement were exactly what I needed to summon the courage to post this._

_Disclaimer - I own nothing, especially nothing One Piece related_

* * *

**The Greatest Story Never Told**

**(aka. In which The Great Captain Usopp yet again saves the day.)**

By Pamplemoose

They had been moored on the island for ten hours. Six more than they had originally intended.

And Zoro still wasn't back.

"Where the hell is that idiot? Surely even he can't get lost for this long? I told him we needed to leave after four hours!"

Nami seethed and shook her head, cursing the gods for her misfortune. It wasn't as if this was uncommon for the swordsman to be lost, but it remained infuriating and this coupled with the slight nervous feeling the navigator felt did not make for easy waiting. The island of Taliouck was not the largest, and while it seemed docile enough (there wasn't even a marine base!) it wasn't just her who returned from her few hours wandering with an uneasy feeling. The smiles of locals were a bit too broad, the lack of trouble a bit too, well, troubling.

The navigator bit her lip and frowned, gazing out over the valley they had hidden in to the town down below.

"Where _is_ he? I even wrote him directions!"

"Naaa, don't worry Nami, it's Zoro! I'm sure he's okay!" Luffy chirped, finger in nose and unfazed by the loss of the swordsman. Knowing each other for so long, she assumed he was used to it.

"Idiot Marimo's probably just got lost trying to find the exit to whichever backwater tavern he found. Drunken asshole."

Sanji stood beside Nami, lighting a cigarette as he chastised the absent crewmate. The redhead smiled as she saw that this was Sanji's third cigarette in the same amount of minutes, a clear sign of concern. He was worried too.

They all were. Despite his regular directional deviations, Zoro always managed to make it back before they needed to leave. The log pose had set only an hour after they landed, and the ship was restocked and ready to go within Nami's allotted four hour schedule. While not impeding their process, the delay was infuriating and there was only a certain amount of time you can keep a hyperactive captain at bay. The impatient twiddling of a straw hat proved this time was running out.

After the Davy Back Fight and the incident with Aokiji, the whole crew were tighter than ever, all wanting to stay close for fear of losing one of their own. This was the first island they stopped at since then, and even while the crew were on edge, each felt there was something definitely wrong with the fact Zoro was still missing.

Robin was sat as usual, book open on her lap as ever but not a page had been turned in the past hour. Chopper sat next to her, a lot more visibly distressed with tears in his eyes and twitching every five minutes, almost restraining himself to avoid running off to search. Wandering nervously, Usopp was trying to console the doctor but even his usual lies were lacking in earnest, mainly dribbling off into quiet murmurs.

They had waited for Zoro for a few hours but the glares from locals showed their ship was no longer welcome at harbour, so they hid in the nearby cliffs. Luffy cheerfully claimed that Zoro would be able to find the ship anyway, because he would be lost no matter where he was trying to find so where he was meant to end up wouldn't make a difference. It frightened Nami how much her Captain's logic made sense.

Her hair flew around her face as the wind suddenly changed and Nami's head turned up to the sky, the frown on her face deepening.

"The wind's picking up" She half muttered. Sanji, Robin and Usopp turned to her, the sky darkening like an ominous reflection of crew's fears.

"Do you think the weather's changing, Navigator-san?" Robin also turned her attention to the sky, as if it were about to open to the heavens.

"A storm's coming. We can't stay near these cliffs much longer. Arg! That idiotic swordsman, when I get my hands on him I'll raise his debts so high…"

"But Nami, we can't leave without Zoro." Luffy helpfully interjected.

"We know that Luffy, but where we are now, we're too open to the bad weather. The winds would batter us straight into the rocks, we need to move Merry somewhere safer."

"Nami swan is sooooo smart!"

"I believe I read there was a smaller island just offshore on the other side of the island, we would be safe to shelter there?"

Nami and Robin ignored Sanji's proclamations and agreed the ship should be moved. As Usopp and Sanji made to lower the sails, the quiet, confused voice of their captain halted all movement.

"But what about Zoro?"

Nami sighed, hands on hips and looked over to the island.

"…We're gonna have to go and find him. We can't wait here any longer."

"But then what about moving the ship?"

With a shake of her head, Nami pointed at her captain.

"We'll just have to split up. Luffy, you Sanji and Usopp go on the island and look for the idiot. Robin, Chopper and I will move the ship to the over side of the island ready to shelter. We'll stay there for two hours so make sure you get back before then or we'll lose even more crewmembers."

"Haiii Nami swaaan!!"

"Wha…wait why do I have to go onshore? What if there are monsters or marines or Zoro's really pissed off or something?"

"Tough Usopp, Robin is better on ship because she can do more jobs at once, and we can't risk Chopper being lost in case anyone needs a doctor when you get back. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Usopp trembled. _Why would I need a doctor upon returning? _

"You remember that town right?! The looks we got, they ain't pirate friendly people! Its dangerous! My I-can't-go-near-scary-locals disease is acting up, see how pale I've gotten?!"

"All the more reason to find Zoro then!!"

Nami's teeth were bared, her voice echoing across the ship during a tense lapse of noise. The wind grew stronger, and with it so did everyone's concern. The could all tell something wasn't quite right, yet none could put their fingers on it.

"Just…find him quick. We'll see you on the other side."

With that, Luffy's limbs were around Usopp and Sanji, and the three catapulted towards the village and hopefully towards their friend.

--

Usopp had lost Luffy and Sanji almost as quickly as they had reached the village. Luffy, as usual, ran off in some random direction, drawing all attention to himself as he hollered for their missing crewmate. Sanji and he watched the suspicious eyes follow the captain as he ran off, and soon after Sanji trailed, muttering about making the 'shitty captain' watch his back.

And so Usopp was alone.

Who was going to watch his back?

With a squeak, and a nervous turn to see if anyone was watching (and relieved the coast was clear), the long nose slunk off in the hunt.

The town wasn't very large, and notably old-fashioned. In the centre of the town stood a town square, normally full of market stalls but now alarmingly empty save for a tall platform, and many men busy building something upon it. There was no obvious marine stronghold, but neither were there many pirates passing, which made Usopp believe there must be some reason for the lack of visitors.

After a good ten minutes of getting lost, searching and hiding, Usopp stumbled across a narrow street which backed onto another smaller courtyard, which served if nothing else as a place to hang washing, the sniper noted from the lines above his head. The area was empty as far as the eye could, not another person was in sight in or around the houses. Just broken down walls, moss and litter lined the area. The coast was clear.

As he crossed the courtyard the sniper's attention was drawn to an old building in the middle of the houses, with a portion of the lower half of the walls lined with bars. It reminded him of a Zoo, with half the room sheltered to give the animal some form of privacy.

And as he neared, Usopp noticed that pacing the cage like an agitated tiger was their missing crewmate.

The floor was sunken, so Zoro didn't notice Usopp standing above him. Instead he kept rapidly pacing the small length of the cell he was in. From his suspended position, Usopp could see the tense rigidity of the swordsman's shoulders, and how he was snarling at nothing while he moved restlessly.

This was very uncharacteristic behaviour.

"Um, Zoro?"

The head turned towards him so quickly Usopp almost heard something in the swordsman's neck break. Zoro blinked disbelievingly a few times before rushing to the bars, reaching up so he was nearer to the sniper's crouched form.

"Usopp? S'that you? What're you doing there?"

"What are **you** doing in there, idiot? How'd you get caught on an island with no enemies? We thought you got lost on the way back from the tavern or something."

"No tavern. Never got there, something else found me. Enemies everywhere, should be more careful…"

Zoro turned away from him, muttering quickly and quietly and scratching at his neck, and Usopp feared he had gone mad in his short absence.

"Zoro, what happened? You're acting crazy."

Zoro focused on the long nosed figure again, staring intently at his face. He shook his head and ran his hand through short, green hair before beginning again.

"I was on my way to a tavern after we docked, but I never got there. Someone got me with a dart or something. Next I knew I woke up in this place and have been stuck here ever since."

Zoro growled and gripped tightly at the bars at Usopp's feet.

"The bastards took my swords. And they keep giving me this, this _stuff_, to keep me quiet. But its making me nuts, I keep imagining things, feel so dirty, crawling inside…can't even fucking _sleep_."

The green haired man was pacing again, muttering incoherently at himself, or to the ones who caught him or to someone else, Usopp wasn't sure. But he knew enough about chemicals to deduce that Zoro was being drugged. The swordsman was known for being hard to handle at the best of time, and the fearsome appearance doesn't help. That, however, wasn't the key question.

"But Who did this Zoro?"

Zoro paused his pacing long enough to wave nonchalantly outside.

"Islanders. Whole fucking lot of 'em are bounty hunters."

Usopp froze, and even Zoro noticed that.

"I know, not too happy with pirates either for some reason. They aren't even gonna bother waiting for the marines to show, say they don't mind having less of the bounty if they can see me hang."

Zoro's barked out laugh made Usopp's stomach twist, from the lack of humour and the reality of the situation. His terrified gaze met the bloodshot, but clear one of Zoro's. Despite his doped-up state, Zoro clearly understood the situation he was in. Usopp cleared his through nervously.

"So, how do we get you out? Let me just go and get Luffy or Sanji and then-"

"No. There isn't time. Luffy's probably got his own people to run from and the bastards who first brought me here said it would only take until sunset to build some gallows."

"So what?"

"…Find my swords. I can't leave without them anyway. Then get back here and we can cut through the bars…they're pretty old."

"I have some exploding stars."

Zoro snorted in agreement as his head snapped around, darkly rimmed eyes narrowing as footsteps echoed in the hallway behind him.

"Good. Now go find my swords, they're in this building somewhere. Hurry, don't let them see you."

"Who see me?"

"Go!"

Zoro hissed before he resumed his pacing, growling in the back of his throat as the footsteps got louder. A clock struck Eight as Usopp hid across the courtyard, but used his goggles to watch his imprisoned nakama.

There were five of them, four men and a woman, and each looked like normal residents of the town. If it weren't for their superior sneers and the way they expertly held their weapons, Usopp would never have suspected them of being bounty hunters.

Two men trained their guns at the swordsman's head, causing the pacing to still and a dazed but wary glare to fix upon them.

When the cell opened, the other two men moved inside. They pinned a barely resisting Zoro to the floor far too easily, Usopp thought, as he knew normally it would take at least ten men to wrestle his friend down, and even then the swordsman would still struggle. As they held his shoulders to the floor Usopp figured whatever concoction it was, the drugs were messing with Zoro's head for him not to fight back.

The woman moved forward last, kneeling in front of the captive's head. Manicured nail gripped green locks as she push Zoro's head to the side, exposing his neck. From his hiding place Usopp could hear Zoro growl in warning and frustration at the vulnerable position, and moments later hiss unpleasantly when the woman pushed a needle into his bared jugular.

The needle withdrawn, the woman moved back and the men released Zoro's arms. They snickered as they left the cell.

"Heh, the great powerful pirate hunter can't handle a few sedatives. His reaction's getting worse."

"As long as he doesn't die from them in the meantime its fine. It's been a while since we saw someone hang, especially someone as famous as Roronoa Zoro."

"He should be okay, I've had to use a stronger mix of sedatives with that one, but with his constitution I imagine he could take about twelve or so doses before it does any permanent or fatal damage."

When the cell door locked, the laughter disappeared and his bile receded, Usopp rushed back towards the prison where the green haired nakama was still lying on the floor.

"Zoro, Zoro are you okay?"

Usopp could get no response from the man, only slurring mutters, growls and grunts as he tried to fight the haze, the Long-nose may as well not been there. It took a few too many minutes of calling him before Zoro's head lulled up to Usopp's location and he snarled in recognition.

"You just wait there Zoro, I'll be back with your swords in a sec."

Zoro managed to nod, understanding despite his inability to speak coherently, and Usopp ran.

--


	2. The Second

It was easy enough to get to the front of the building, it wasn't huge and Usopp didn't have a bounty so wasn't instantly recognizable, and from the sounds of things his crewmates were provided a more than efficient distraction even if he was. A clattering of footsteps forced Usopp into hiding in the shadows of an alley as a group of hunters ran past, armed and ready.

"Looking for the pirate hunter, no doubt. Some blonde haired kid is with him too."

"1 _Billion _Beli! And I thought that Roronoa was worth a lot of money."

"We know Monkey D. Luffy can fight, and the blonde bastard's got a fierce kick. Saw him break someone's jaw earlier!"

"And Monkey just keeps shouting for Roronoa, over and over. The whole town can hear him."

It was true; Luffy's hollers echoed across the street as Usopp sneaked across it, and he thanked his lucky stars for the distraction they were so aptly providing.

It left Zoro less guarded.

And it left it safer for him (cause even if Zoro is his nakama and he wants to help him he doesn't want to getcaughtandgetpokedwithbigpointyneedlesthankyouverymuch).

The front of the building was as rundown as the back; it looked like any regular old house that built up the area. Tall, and quite thin, shadowing the long street. There was no door, only an open arch which the sniper hid under.

It was quiet. If there were anyone left in this place it seemed they weren't just wandering about aimlessly in the spacious entrance. Usopp tightened his grip on his catapult and crept inside.

He hugged the wall as he tiptoed around, looking into every room he passed. Lucky for him, none of the rooms had doors, only empty doorways allowing him easy spying in the hunt for the missing weapons. When it remained quiet; no sounds of bounty hunter footsteps nearing or noticing him. He kept going, creeping slowly down each corridor.

It was lucky that one of the earlier rooms he walked past was not only empty but a store cupboard, with some extra clothes. Usopp quickly clambered into a spare pair of trousers and a tunic, wrapping a belt around his waist, hiding his hair under a cap and carrying a hammer in his hand. Though not quite perfectly blended in (none of the locals had his recognisable darker skin or curly hair, and especially his unusual nose), Usopp was now disguised enough to walk through the corridors without looking too suspicious.

'_Ingenious, the great Usopp shall save his helpless friend in no time!'_ The sniper fantasised as he wandered the corridors as casually as possible (which, for Usopp, isn't very casual at all.)

--

Usopp wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed, but he could tell it was getting darker, and somewhere a clock struck quarter to. He had been searching for a while, and had only crossed paths with a few hunters (most were either busy chasing Luffy as he made carnage, or down below matching Zoro); even those encounters were harmless thanks to his disguise. There was very little of the building left to search.

Wiping the sweat off his forehead ('cause it was hot, no way because he was terrified a group of evil bounty hunters would come and string him up), Usopp peered into the room near the end of the hall.

He wanted to cry when he saw them.

All three swords, lying on top on a desk. The white one seemed to shine ethereally, the black one glistening quietly and the red one glinted, and terrified Usopp more so than being in this hunter's nest. He had never been so grateful to see those weapons.

As much as he wanted to grab them and run, Usopp was glued to the spot at the sight of a half awake guard leaning next to the doorframe.

A minor obstacle, nothing the great Usopp can't handle.

Tiptoeing again, his Hammer was raised higher and higher as Usopp neared the barely conscious man. Just before he was going to strike, the man opened his eyes, and they widened when he saw the long-nosed man with a Hammer raised in his direction.

The guard opened his mouth to shout in alarm to others, but with a swift movement and a heavy thud, the hammer fell from it's apex to the man's skull and he fell to the floor, unconscious and with a large bump to the back of his head.

Not wanting to temp fate, Usopp grabbed the swords and ran.

He didn't stop running until he was out of the building and back in the secluded safety of the rear courtyard. Dropping the swords, Usopp heaved for breath as he tried his best not to think of all the things that could have happened upon his escape, or the people that might of seen him, instead revelling in the fact he was out of the guardhouse, with Zoro's swords and still intact.

And this was just the easy part.

--

Usopp had never been more thankful to see Zoro locked in a cell, but at least it showed the hunters hadn't decided to hang him yet. Usopp crouched again and peered through the bars.

"Zoro?"

The green haired man in question was sitting against the far wall, almost hidden in shadow if it weren't for his bright hair. It looked as if he were sleeping, but Usopp (a seasoned sleeping-Zoro watcher) thought the way he held his head in a punishing grip and gripped his neck proved the sedatives were definitely taking their toll.

Frowning at being ignored, Usopp brought out the only things he knew would fully capture the swordsman's attention.

"Get up Zoro, I've got your swords."

It always worked. Zoro scrambled up, staggering slightly before he hurried over to the bars.

"What? Where are they? Give them to me."

Ignoring the brusque behaviour (this was Zoro after all, it was expected) Usopp awkwardly clattered the three swords through the bars, where they were snatched away like a starving man presented with some bread.

Zoro gripped the swords like a lifeline, the grip familiar to once Usopp had seen children give to security blankets back in his village. But the reason for Zoro's strength and very livelihood seemed to clear his thoughts as he placed them home on hip and already Usopp could see the hardness back in his gaze, the strength of the swordsman returning. Nervously, Usopp cleared his throat.

"Um, how do you feel? They didn't come back again did they?"

Zoro shook his head and grunted.

"No, the last time was just after you left. It still feels weird though, it's lasting longer than before."

Usopp didn't want to worry the captive, or himself, so he laughed casually as he could through a shaking voice.

"I'm sure that's nothing, you're probably just tired. If we can just get you out of there and we can all get back to Merry."

'_Where it's safe and Chopper can check you over'_ was added mentally, but Usopp assumed it was better than he was the only one panicking.

Focusing again on the cell he leant in front of, he could see Zoro inspecting the bars. His hands gripped the metal and with a slight tug he tested their strength. This seemed to take a lot more effort than normal on the swordsman's part, and Usopp too tried to pull the bars out.

"Hm, they're quite old, but I can't cut them when I'm down here. My attack would just hit the wall."

Usopp tapped his chin in though before exclaiming, and diving into his bag. Zoro watched hands rummage before they withdrew, one hand clutching a creamy shell in a vice like grip.

"We can use the Impact dial! I powered it up the other day with one of Luffy's punches."

A smile graced Zoro's face for the first time since he left Merry's deck that morning.

"Will it be strong enough?"

"If anything, it would be too strong," Usopp began tapping each bar, grinning when he heard the hollowness of the safety bar. "if I put the dial by this bar it would blow them loose, but being so low down on the wall I'd worry about it's structure holding."

Usopp bent near the pipe, examining the wall and area around it to further determine what might happen when the impact goes off. In the meantime Zoro's head pounded like Luffy had been using it as a drum and his grip determinedly tightened around his swords.

"Do it." Usopp turned.

"But what if it falls, you'll be buri-"

"I don't care, just do it. Can't be any worse than things are now can it?"

Zoro smirked again, and it was mainly times like this when Usopp really though the man with green hair was truly a monster.

Sighing in despair, he positioned the dial in front of the bar. Zoro prepared by stepping back from the area and bracing himself for the inevitable explosion (he learnt long ago most ideas implemented by Usopp involve, somewhere down the line, an explosion of some kind.)

True enough, there was a click of the dial and very shortly after, the boom of an explosion resonated outwards through the quiet courtyard.

--

Usopp was flown backwards across the yard, rolling to a halt against the opposite wall clutching his wrist.

"Owowowowowowoww that hurt! It feels broken, stupid Dial! Never again am I putting Luffy's punches in you! Zoro? Zoro, you okay in there?!"

Looking up, the wall was crumbling, and Usopp couldn't see the cell through the dust. A murky shadow shifted through the darkness and Zoro's considerably dirtier head peered through the now larger, bar free hole.

"Dammit Usopp, could you ever do something quietly!"

As the dust settled, Usopp scrambled up and watched Zoro slowly hoist himself through the hole in the wall. He noticed how the swordsman winced slightly, but he couldn't tell if it was the drugs or from the explosion. Even as he moved into freedom the sniper could hear the shouts of bounty hunters running towards them.

Zoro squinted in the sunlight, still rubbing his head as it ached. It had felt like days since he had felt the wind in his hair, the Sun on his skin, and he stood even as his body ached from the explosion and the narcotics.

Footsteps and shouting neared more and Usopp ran closer to Zoro, panicked.

"I think they may have heard us weshouldprobablyrunnowZoroquick."

"Where's the harbour?"

"The ship's been moved, just follow me."

Usopp whirled, ready to run towards the ocean when the simultaneous click of ten guns ready to fire made them both freeze.

--

Every exit was blocked by a bounty hunter, all pointing a gun directly at the pair of pirates. Usopp crept back towards Zoro, who was inching out his swords. The pair were shoulder to shoulder, preparing to strike against their enemy.

"Seems our Pirate Hunter had a little help on the outside." One, tall man sneered. Zoro's eyes darkened and he rumbled.

"Bastard, didn't have enough fun with me already?"

The tall man laughed, followed by a few other snickers.

"Didn't like our sedatives Roronoa? If you weren't so volatile it wouldn't have been needed, Marie says nobody ever needed that much before. We were worried it would kill you before we could send you to the gallows."

This comment made Zoro snarl in anger, raising his sword to attack. The other hunters all raised their guns threateningly and he stalled for fear of a bullet in the head. The tall hunter, clearly the leader of the group chuckled at Zoro's furious gaze. Usopp was still as a statue, literally staring down the barrel of a gun. He turned his head slowly and looked at the swordsman, the first opportunity for an up close look at how well he was coping.

Sweat dripped down his bloody and dusty forehead, upon close inspection said forehead was surprisingly pale. Eyes travelling down to the strong neck, Usopp could see the bruises of points of entry from the needles, all marred with red scratches where Zoro's blunt nails had run over the area. There were bruises and scratches on his body, mainly from the explosion and partly from the rough treatment.

A heavy weight in Usopp's shoulder signalled that Zoro was swaying slightly, and as he moved forward the sniper could see a patch of dark blood on his back. Seems Zoro was knocked back by the explosion too, he just couldn't travel as far as Usopp did before hitting something, and by the looks of it something painful.

Usopp drew out his catapult, trying his best to look brave. The tall hunter looked at him and chuckled.

"This is another of the fearsome Strawhats? Did all the strong fighters get lost trying to found you Roronoa?"

Usopp flushed red, embarrassed, and Zoro's aura darkened further.

"Shut up. He is stronger than any of you bastards, who have to stoop to poison and tricks to catch and enemy."

The Tall Man's expression soured but Usopp's lifted. Any Strawhat knew, woe betide those who insult their nakama. Especially nakama who have just saved them from a certain death.

If Usopp hadn't known the swordsman for so long, Zoro's demonic aura would have petrified him. Instead, many of the hunter's guns dropped to the floor as a shadowed and angry gaze flitted across the yard. The Tall hunter hadn't moved; just smirking in their general direction. Zoro stepped forward, ready to teach his enemy a lesson about treating his crewmates with respect. It was the feral rumble that drew from his mouth snapped the frozen hunters from their stupor.

A gunshot echoed across the courtyard. No one knew where it came from, no one knew who fired it. But they knew whom it had hit.

Usopp watched in slow motion as Zoro suck back mid step, curling over his stomach where the bullet impacted. Blood splattered on the floor like raindrops, in a pattern so vivid on the dusty ground if it were anything else, the sniper might think it artistic.

The tall hunter saw the opportunity, and screamed to the other hunters.

"Now, fools! Catch them!"

Like hawks upon mice, the men descended upon the injured heroes. Every fibre of Usopp's being screamed at him to run, and thank _god_ for once he and Zoro were on the same wavelength.

His hand reached for a star as fast as lightning, and before any of the man could run across it the courtyard was engulfed with smoke. Using the shouts as homing beacons, Zoro grabbed Usopp around the wrist and dragged him out of the emptiest exit he could find. The dragging quickly turned to sprinting, and soon they were racing through the backstreets as fast as possible.

To see the swordsman flee was confusing to Usopp; for as long as they had been travelling Zoro's fight mentality severely overpowered his flight.

"Zoro?" Usopp asked quizzically. He wanted to take advantage of the doped man to get a rare glimpse into his mind.

"Where's the damn ship!"

"Umm, I think it's this way. You aren't gonna fight them?"

Zoro growled again, and for the first time since they began running Usopp noticed how erratically the bloodied chest was heaving, and how Zoro's hand never left his gut.

"My head's still all messed up, I wouldn't be focused. Besides, with you here too…and I think the bullet might have nicked my liver or something, it hurts like a bitch."

He wanted to stop, to gape at his friend instead of fleeing alongside him.

Because it was so typical of Zoro, to worry that his friends might get hurt before his own injuries.

"Your _liver_? Wait…Zoro, _is the bullet still in there?!"_

He had the grace to look sheepish.

Man, Chopper was gonna kill them.

--


	3. The Third

The race through town was thankfully, largely uneventful. From what they heard whilst hiding from passing hunters, Luffy had found the main courtyard, and Sanji filled him in on why people might be building a gallows, the captain went on a one man rampage. Mission capture-the-pirate was now Mission stop-the-pirate-from-destroying-everything.

And with Usopp's superior sense of direction, they avoided the scene entirely. They could almost see their destination; the town had all but disappeared and the coast stretched before them. The rest would be a piece of cake.

Zoro was lagging by this point. It was well over an hour since his last dose of sedatives, and he was almost dragging his heels as he moved. His chest heaved with each breath, and blood dyed his fingers as it dribbled through them from his wound.

"Look! There's Merry!"

That ship, that beautiful figurehead, memories of nakama and adventure and home and _Kaya_ flashed through Usopp's mind with one glimpse of the battered caravel.

"We made it Zoro!"

Zoro was kneeling, leaning against the last building on the street as he tried to catch his breath. Even while that exhausted, Usopp knew Zoro's voice didn't sound normal when he answered. At least he thought it was Zoro.

"Heh…not quite, long nose."

The tall man stood, looking almost relaxed, leaning against the building he had just emerged from. Only mere steps away from the now- resting swordsman, he pointed the gun square at Usopp and trailed his eyes down to Zoro's own gaze.

"One move, Roronoa, and my finger might slip."

Zoro tensed in his crouch, his eyes flicked between the man, the gun and Usopp as he tried to calculate what could be done in time and that wouldn't get the liar shot.

The Tall Man saw the calculating look and chuckled.

"Give it up, Pirate. One move out of you and your friend over there gets it."

Over there, A trembling Usopp was deciding he was sick of staring down the barrels of guns. A coiling feeling in his gut made him uncomfortable, the guilt he felt for being a liability for his friend. The Tall Man was looking at him now, looking every bit the smug victor. So distracted he was by the shaking man's form that he didn't notice the dirty greenish figure make his move.

With an inhuman speed for someone injured, the swordsman launched from his crouch, withdrawing a sword as he went, fully intent on slicing the Tall Man to shreds.

Barely fazed, the Tall Man moved just as rapidly, stepping backwards he turned, and sent another shot into Zoro's already bleeding gut. The older pirate gasped in surprise as he sunk back by the force of the close range shot.

"Zoro!"

Usopp's voice echoed over the sound of the blast as his friend pitched forward into a boneless heap. The dusty floor stained red as his lifeblood pooled from his stomach, but the heaving breaths reassured the sniper that the idiot was still alive. He drew his slingshot and aimed it directly at the Tall Man.

After a painful pause, Zoro vainly attempted to move, to attack again. All he managed was to roll onto his back, tearing the wound more with his efforts.

"I wouldn't try and move too much, pirate. It would be a shame if you die before I have a chance to hang you."

The Tall Man was indifferent to Roronoa's plight, talking to him but eyes now never faltering from the long nosed sniper, who now looked a lot more determined.

"But of course, we have a backup right long nose? You wouldn't leave your crewmate like this, as injured as he is."

The grip around the slingshot tightened, elastic band pulled tight with an exploding star ready to fire.

"Drop your weapon," the Tall Man said with a chuckle, eyeing the slingshot "or I may have to make another hole in him."

Angry at being bait, Zoro growled, but any attempt to move was thwarted by the Tall man none too kindly toeing him in his injuries.

"Stop it!"

Usopp's voice was tight, tense with fear and determination. The two sharpshooters stared each other down, fingers twitching on their weapons. Usopp was terrified, but he would not yield. Not with a nakama's life on the line.

Wind blew across the dusty floor. Silence fell, save for Zoro's struggling gasps.

A leaf fluttered by. A bird took flight. And the pair moved.

Simultaneously, Usopp and the Tall Man fired; the snap of a slingshot drowned by the blast of pistol.

The echo descended to the quiet tension of the face off, as each sought out a victor.

Blood dripped onto the floor at the long nose's feet, the entry hole dark against his shoulder.

The Tall Man opened his mouth to laugh in victory, when a sickening gag stopped him short. He fell forward in a dead faint.

Usopp froze, confused to hell what just happened. Zoro looked equally as bemused, but from his closer location he could see the small, hard dent Usopp's star had caused on the Tall Man's temple.

"You got him."

The tired voice rasped, and Usopp didn't know whether to feel relieved or anticlimactic. Like a mouse, he scuttled forward, getting close enough to their enemy to be sure he was out for the count.

While he was there, he decided to hit him a few times with him Hammer. And tie his shoelaces.

Because no matter how much of an amazing dead hit KO sharpshooter he was, no one could every say Usopp wasn't careful.

--

Their return to the ship was less than graceful.

The shooting showdown was, thankfully, nearer to the coast than appeared, and after about half an hour of painstaking movement, the caravel and always welcoming flag loomed every closer.

Zoro had been steadily getting worse; paler by the second, and neither knew if it was thanks to the drugs or the bullets lodged inside him. Usopp was slightly better, shaken and drawn, and his shoulder was on fire, but it was jusr about bareable and compared to the swordsman it was a drop in the ocean.

They didn't speak as they moved, just held each other up, arms slung around each other's shoulders (at which point Usopp was almost glad Zoro's injuries were causing him to sag, because at least they were the same height then), mutually dragging each other home. Instead of talking, Zoro focused on hiding his exclamations of pain, and Usopp focused on ignoring each nuance that escaped the green haired man's lips.

Yards away from the shore, the sniper's sharp eyes caught a flower of blossoms raise from the floor, and he muttered to the ear and eye in the ground.

"Can you get Chopper please, Robin?"

It barely seemed like seconds after the blossoms disappeared when a shrilly terrified and worried reindeer cantered towards them at a frightening pace.

"Thank goodness."

Usopp cracked a relieved grin at the sight of their doctor; while Zoro mumbled.

"M'tired. Gonna sleep now."

The heavy weight of the muscled man dragged Usopp down as his knees buckled, and blood loss finally took it's toll on the warrior.

Usopp decided that if Zoro could do it, he could too, and was unconscious seconds later.

--

When he woke up, the sun had long set and there were pots and pans quietly slamming around the countertop.

Usopp turned his head and his jumbled sleep-thoughts rearranged himself to realise he was laying in the kitchen. Sanji was cooking, slightly angrily by the slamming, but not wanting to disrupt anyone. A over exaggerated cough drew the cook to the sniper's attention.

"Finally up, shitty longnose? 'Bout time, it's been hours."

The relief in the words wasn't even hidden. Usopp smiled.

"We've set sail?"

"As soon as me and Luffy got back. Once I dragged him away from those hunters I mean."

"How'd you get him back here?"

Sanji chuckled and lit a cigarette.

"My beautiful Robin-chwan managed to lure him back, once I managed to stop the shitty captain long enough for her to tell us you brought the shitty swordsman back."

The conversation paused as the sniper's thoughts

"Is he okay?"

Sanji snorted and turned back to the pans.

"Same as ever. Chopper had fished the bullets out by the time we got back, but he hasn't woken up yet. Chopper found needle marks, so is trying to figure it out. What the hell happened?"

The sizzling of the pan was the only sound in the kitchen. Usopp looked at the floor, refusing to speak past the lump in his throat, so Sanji ignored the lack of response and answered the question Usopp was afraid to ask.

"You can go see him, if you want. The Doctor gave you the okay to move now your scratches are cleaned up."

Despite all his tetchiness about the swordsman, Usopp laughed to himself at the steady sound of Sanji's footsteps following him to the doctor's cabin.

Chopper was at his desk, asleep amongst antidotes and textbooks to help draw the toxins out of Zoro's body. Nami and Robin were curled up together on a couch, sleeping peacefully while facing their injured mate. The captain, ever bending the boundaries like rubber, was draped over the bandaged body, hugging him like a large, chiselled teddy bear, head nestled on the broad chest.

Zoro himself looked as he ever did after an injury, fast asleep. It was of great relief to Usopp to see Zoro looking more like himself, bandaged and resting and safe, rather than injured and drugged and in trouble, and he released a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding.

Sanji placed the broth he'd been making on the table and shook his head, leaving the room to go back on watch.

Settling cross legged on the floor, Usopp drank some broth and watched the swordsman, scared if he stopped looking the injuries might come back.

A soft snort exhaled from a drowsy face as Sanji's appetising food roused Zoro from his sleep. Usopp started.

"Zoro! You're awake!" The swordsman hushed him quickly.

"Quiet down, baka. You'll wake them."

Zoro nodded down to the rubber blanket with a fondness only reserved for his captain. A pang of jealousy ran through Usopp's stomach, how even after all they just went through, they were never that close. He knew it was stupid, as the captain and swordsman shared a bond nobody dare touch. Embarrassed, the sniper scratched his nose.

"Um, how do you feel?"

"Like shit. Those damn bullet wounds are itching, and my head's gonna explode."

Glancing to Chopper's desk, Usopp answered.

"I think its those sedatives. Drugs normally cause some nasty side effects, Chopper'll help you through."

"…Thanks."

It was said quietly, sincerely, but Usopp was so stunned he blurted.

"Why?"

Solemn, Zoro answered.

"For being brave. For not running away. For saving me."

"I didn't-"

"I would have been hung today Usopp, if it weren't for you."

"Luffy would've-"

"But Luffy _didn't_, you did and be a man and let me thank you, dammit!"

Usopp couldn't hide his laugh, it was a miracle no one stirred from it. Wheezing for breath from suppressed sniggers, Usopp rested his arm near Zoro's head.

"I didn't take you for one who needed saving. Like a princess."

Zoro snarled, but didn't rise to the bait.

"Even I can realise when to be honest. You deserve it. Even if the damn love cook won't leave me be after this."

A warm feeling Usopp always associated with happiness flooded his body as Zoro pouted, looking every bit a spoiled kid stuck in bed. He ran his fingers through Zoro's hair and smiled at him.

"I won't tell them, if you want."

Zoro looked confused, and Usopp grinned as he tapped his nose.

"Sometimes the best stories are kept secret!"

Zoro smiled and nodded, fatigue overtaking him as he drifted back to sleep. Usopp left the cabin quietly, and curled up in his bed to weave the greatest tales of heroism of the Swordsman and Sniper, without a thread of truth in them for the crew to hear.

Because it was always the greatest truths that were never told, and the greatest stories that brought them together.

--.--.--

* * *

_I know I could've posted it on one super long fic, but I like breakin my stories up, and they say every good tale has a beginning, a middle and an end! :P_

_I just wanted Ussop to be heroic for once, I'm totally loving him recently. And Zosop is total win, in a nakama way or in a more explicit one. Take this as you want._

_I hope you enjoyed, and I would really appreciate any feedback, it really breeds creativity._

_Thanks for Reading! - Pamplemoose_


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